How combat turns work
Your entire squad acts before the enemy. Each Operator receives three Action Points per turn, and actions can be taken in any order. Movement costs scale with distance; attacks depend on weapon type, range, line of sight, and cover.
| System | Officially confirmed function |
|---|---|
| Overwatch | Places an adjustable firing cone and can interrupt enemies that move or act inside it. Using it ends that Operator’s turn. |
| Utilities | Items such as medkits and concussion grenades typically cost one AP. |
| Call for Backup | A zero-AP action that lets one random Operator ask a teammate to assist their next attack. |
| Advantage | A resource generated by landing hits and spent on powerful abilities. It does not cost AP and is capped at 10. |
| Cover | Partial and full cover reduce the chance of being hit. Flanking and higher ground can improve your own shot odds. |
Injuries and permanent death
An Operator reduced to zero Health is Downed and receives an Injury. Allies can Rally a Downed Operator, but Injuries reduce combat performance and require treatment. EA’s gameplay briefing says three Injuries cause permanent death on standard difficulty; EA’s Q&A says permadeath is enabled by default but can be turned off.
What you do at the Den
The Den is Zero Company’s base on the Ring of Kafrene. Its facilities cover mission selection, recruitment, progression, equipment, upgrades, healing, customization, and remembrance.
- Holotable: select Operations and Tactical Missions, spend Intel, and track Influence.
- Recruitment: hire or create Custom Operators within the current roster capacity.
- Personnel: spend Focus Points, manage specializations, review stats, and develop Bonds.
- Armory: equip four weapon types, modifications, and combat Utilities.
- Upgrade and Medbay: build facilities across Cycles and treat Injuries.
Missions, Cycles, and choices
Operations take place on the Galaxy Map and resolve without tactical combat. They can provide immediate rewards and narrative developments, unlock more Operations or Missions, and affect Bonds or side missions through player choices.
Tactical Missions deploy a squad to complete an objective on the tactical layer. Story missions can include short third-person free-roam sequences, while pre-combat preparation can award Intel and Advantage. Confirmed mission types include Sabotage, Combat, Rescue, Retrieval, and narrative hero missions.
Both Operations and Tactical Missions can expire. When a story-critical mission runs out of time it becomes obligatory, and each Cycle ends with a Tactical Mission selection and squad deployment.
The official Q&A estimates a 30–40 hour main campaign for the average player. Choices can change Bonds and some narrative elements, while the broad conclusion remains largely consistent. New Game+ is not available at launch, although the launch FAQ says later playthroughs unlock certain customization options.
Bonds and Cross Training
Relationships improve through Operations, Tactical Missions, and combat assists. When a Bond level rises, the pair can Cross Train for a permanent combat-stat bonus. A maximum Bond can unlock a special passive ability. Story dilemmas may improve or damage individual relationships.
This is an official-systems briefing, not a strategy ranking. Exact optimal builds, encounter solutions, and “best squad” claims require launch-build testing and are intentionally excluded.
Related field reports
Compare the eight specializations, review the confirmed Operators, study the Infinite Coil, or check the official accessibility options.
Sources
- EA — Lead Zero Company To Victory (combat, Injuries, the Den, missions, facilities, Bonds)
- Steam — official launch FAQ (Operations, Tactical Missions, mission types, Cycles, and replay details)
- EA — Answering the Internet’s Biggest Questions (campaign length, choices, permadeath settings)
- EA Newsroom — Launch announcement (campaign map, progression, Cross Training)